The question brought a smile to the face of University of Wisconsin men's hockey coach Mike Eaves, then a quick deferral.

He was asked how he decided on the pairings of his six front-line defensemen. There are several quirks and curiosities woven into the unit, so it must have been an interesting thought process.

"I'm going to defer to the defensemen coach," Eaves said, referring to assistant Mark Osiecki.

UW defensemen are known mostly for their unique quality. Three - sophomore Jake Gardiner, junior tri-captain Ryan McDonagh and junior Brendan Smith - were first-round NHL draft picks. Two - junior Cody Goloubef and freshman Justin Schultz - were chosen in the second round. The other starter, freshman John Ramage, is the son of a former NHL all-star.

But aligning that talent so that individual strengths are maximized and weaknesses are balanced is a challenge. Chemistry, communication and playing style were among the many considerations that went into creating the current core.

That helps explain why two right-handed Canadians are paired together (Goloubef and Schultz), two left-handed Minnesotans work together (Gardiner and McDonagh) and why the most inexperienced member of the group, a freshman who happens to be the youngest player on the team, is paired with the loosest cannon (Ramage and Smith).

"Who knows? By the end of the year it still might shake out about 10 different times," Osiecki said.

It's hard to argue with the makeup of the unit heading into a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series against Minnesota Friday and Saturday night at the Kohl Center. Gardiner and McDonagh are a combined plus-4 with six assists, Goloubef and Schultz have one goal, three assists and are a plus-5, while Smith and Ramage show 4-10-14 and are plus-8.

Still, it seems odd not to put a right-handed shot with a left-handed one, especially when a suitable match is readily available. And what about putting those native sons together?

Osiecki, a former UW and NHL defenseman, feels having Gardiner play on his off side helps him better see the play in front of him. Gardiner began the season on the left side, but was moved to the right side after the first weekend of play.

"If you're thinking he's along the right boards, now it opens up the ice and turning to the right is a little bit easier than turning to your left if you're left-handed," Osiecki said.

Goloubef, meanwhile, can play either left or right, but prefers to play the off side for similar reasons.

All UW defensemen are asked to support the rush, but McDonagh and Goloubef are instinctively wired to play defense first, while Gardiner and Schultz are more offensively inclined.

"I think it's just trying to find who relates, who complements each other and who doesn't," Goloubef said. "We've found some pretty good chemistry right now, so we're going to stick with that because we've been doing well."

Goloubef said his comfort has nothing to do with partnering with a fellow Canadian - he's from Ontario, Schultz from British Columbia - but Gardiner likes having a fellow Minnesotan riding shotgun. Gardiner is from Minnetonka, McDonagh from Arden Hills.

"We always stand up for each other," Gardiner said.

Ramage came to UW with a tough, defensive-minded reputation - similar to that of his father, Rob, who played 15 seasons in the NHL - while Smith is a converted forward whose offense-first instincts can lead to trouble.

To wit, in the season opener against Colorado College, Smith was involved in two tactical breakdowns that led to goals en route to a 3-2 loss. He was benched for the following game, but has three multi-point outings since.

"From the red line backwards he's still learning the game and everyone sees that," Osiecki said of Smith, who leads UW in scoring with 2-7-9.

It didn't take long for Osiecki to see that Ramage would be a good partner for Smith.

"They do hit it off," Osiecki said. "They're able to feed off each other, give each other criticism. I've never heard Smitty - being an older guy and a highly touted guy - say one thing in a negative tone toward 'Rammer.' "

Ramage, 18, said the collaboration with Smith works because they're constantly providing feedback to one another.

"If we're communicating, it makes it so much easier for each other because defense is such a supportive position," Ramage said.

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